Author: The Saklan School Friday Blog

The Saklan School is a private Pre-K through 8 school located in Moraga, CA. Our mission is to think creatively, act compassionately, and live courageously.

Sustainable Gardening at Saklan

Three weeks ago, the Middle School kicked off their first “Learning By Doing” Session. These classes are designed to create project and experience based learning that cover a variety of topics. This September, the 6th grade prepared for their upcoming Yosemite Adventure, the 7th and 8th graders participated in Saklan’s African Ensemble, designed a new mural for the Sports Court wall ball area, and took on the challenge of redesigning the gardens and planters at Saklan to be more drought tolerant and sustainable.

chello

Over three weeks, 7 students designed a pollinator garden behind the science lab, and cleaned and re-potted the seven pots in front of the school. In the process, they discovered the difference between annuals and perennials, which types of plants attract bees and butterflies, why succulents are special, and how to plant and care for all of them. As Saklan strives to be part of a more sustainable culture, and educates our students about stewardship of the planet, we must begin with stewardship of the places they visit everyday. In addition to the philosophical benefits of gardening, the physical act of getting your hands dirty and caring for another living thing gives students a sense of real purpose.

Each student finished the class with their own succulent pot that they designed. If you want to see the fruits of their labors, come check out the new planters in front of the school, and check out the bees buzzing in the pollinator garden behind the science room!

#SaklanCares

Sugar Awareness at Saklan

The sixth graders have been learning about nutrition in Science class. Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining good health. The students learned about each food group, daily recommendations, vitamins and minerals, essential nutrients and what they do for the human body. Our bodies need to be treated right in order for them to function correctly. This unit helps the students gain the ability to practice making better food choices in their diet and, hopefully, reducing health risks through proper diet.

Guest expert Donna Pickthall, co-owner of Genuine Goodness cafe in Orinda and mom of Evie in 6th grade, came to the science lab to help teach the 6th graders about sugar in their food. Students got to create 3 types of bread dough with different sugar amounts to see and taste the difference. They also made healthy pizza rolls which they all enjoyed at lunch. It was a fun morning!

#SaklanSugarAware

Toss N’ Talk

IMG_9424.jpg

Fourth grade starts every day on the right foot with a Morning Meeting! On this day, we played “Toss N’ Talk” where we toss a ball and answer a question. Having this time to connect on a social/emotional level is a wonderful way to transition from home to our academic day.

Fourth graders learned how to take the information they learned about California’s four regions and turn that information into a Google Slide presentation. Integrating History with technology is something students really enjoy! Presenting to their peers helps them to practice their public speaking skills.

#SaklanConfident

Head’s Corner

Thank You and Well Wishes!

Dear Parents,

In the busyness of the end of the year and the start of summer camp last June, I neglected to honor two employees who have left the Saklan fold – Carol Goldman and Joy Alvarado. My deepest apologies to both.

SASTA-CarolGoldman.jpg

Carol Goldman is an alumni parent, served for years on the Board of Trustees, and was our Director of Development for the past three years. For those of you who know Carol, you knew that she worked tirelessly for Saklan for many years. She drove our Annual Giving Fund for the past several years as well as the Auction. Without her leadership many of the things that we have on campus today – from the Science Lab and Music Room to the kiln and updated play areas – may not have come to fruition. Moreover, if you know Carol, you know that she does not hesitate to pitch in a helping hand wherever it is needed. Saklan is not the same place without her, and we wish her well as she seeks new ventures.

sasta-joyalvarado.jpg

Joy Alvarado was with us as a Preschool Aide for over three years. If you know Joy you know that she is never without a smile or a can-do spirit. To call her an optimist would be an understatement. Joy worked with both the Hoot Owls and Owlets over the three years, sharing her love for discovery and learning. Moreover, as Joy worked full time, she also went to school to earn a teaching degree and is now working as a Head Teacher. We can not think but how lucky those kids and that school are.

Warm regards,

David

#SaklanThankful

Kinder Line Paper Sculptures

What can lines create? Paintings, shapes, sculpture and beyond. First, the students learn when something is flat, like a painting or drawing, it is two-dimensional. What THEY WILL CREATE pops up from the paper and you can SEE ALL THE WAY AROUND, making it SCULPTURE!

Using straight line strips of paper and glue, the Kinders create their own one of a kind standing sculpture. They learn how to make shapes, spirals, arcs, and zig zag lines all using a flat, straight line paper. The possibilities are endless to this sculpture project, as students can build on existing shapes.

Their imagination grows as they continue to build off each line of paper and relate it to something they have seen or imagined. Some students created their own sculpture garden, imagining where a person climbs and wonders. The kindergarteners showed great excitement and focus in building their line paper sculptures! Following this project, students will move onto two-dimensional line drawings and paintings.

#SaklanCreative

Hot Air Balloons Over Saklan

IMG_3123

This week, the 8th grade created hot air balloons that would help test the ideas of buoyancy and Archimedes Principle, along with Charles’ Law in Chemistry. Using paper, glue, tape and paperclips, they engineered balloons that they thought would create the largest lift when filled with heated air.

The students worked together to fill the balloon and create lift. After some on the fly design changes, and adding different amounts of air, we finally got lift off! The engineering processes was in full effect with the 8th graders, and when hitting snags in their designs, and having environmental challenges, they were able to tinker their designs and way of thinking to accomplish their goal. With the help of the wind as well, we noticed how fluids move in and push matter.

IMG_3128

This year, the students were able to create balloons that reached a higher altitude than any other year.

#SaklanHandsOn

A New Parachute in Physical Education

“A circle is a round straight line with a hole in the middle.”

~Mark Twain~

This year The Saklan School got a brand new parachute for their physical education program! “Parachuting” is great fun and a healthy activity for students of all ages.

The parachute strengthens primarily shoulder, arm and hand muscles, and at the same time allows for practice of basic locomotor skills, such as running, leaping, skipping, and galloping. Teamwork and cooperation are essential in order to successfully complete many of the fun activities which can be created by the parachute.

Students of all grades love playing with the parachute. The non-competitive, rhythmic social interactions are a great start to a new school year.

Let’s go Saklan!

#SaklanWellRounded

Hoot Owl Agreements

ho-agreements.jpg

What a fun first few weeks of school! The Hoot Owls are settling in, making new friends and really enjoying being “big kids.” They all worked together to come up with their Hoot Owl agreements. Miss Traci asked the children during group time, “What can we do to stay safe and happy at school?” Almost all of the agreements were their own ideas. Miss Traci and Miss Jessica added a few, but made sure everyone agreed by giving a thumbs up.

Later the Hoot Owls signed their agreements with colorful hand prints. Children have already started to remind their classmates about “our agreements.” Social development is such an important part of the Hoot Owl year. Agreements are a great way to set expectations in a thoughtful and collaborative way.

All About Me

This month’s theme is All About Me and Feelings. They have been reading books about their feelings which has led to a lot of dialogue about how the Hoot Owls feel and when and why they have those feelings. They have begun to play a matching game that involves recognizing a feeling on a cartoon face and then telling a story about a time when they have also felt this way. On Mondays, they practice mindful meditation during group time. They take time to breathe, calm their bodies and do some yoga! At the end of mindful Monday group time, they read a story that is similar to a guided meditation. The stories are designed to encourage calm, confidence and creativity!

#SaklanConfident

Head’s Corner

IMG_3031a

Saving Childhood

A few weeks ago, the New York Times published an opinion piece by Kim Brooks titled We Have Ruined Childhood. It is one of those articles that you can read and walk away feeling defeated, but in this case, it made me proud of the work we do here at Saklan. In many ways, as I read the article, I saw the Saklan approach as an antidote to what ails children and adolescents these days.

Brooks talks about the fact that “kids today have fewer opportunities to practice social-emotional skills… they don’t learn how to start a friendship, how to start a relationship, what to do when someone’s bothering you, how to solve a problem.” Which I find can be true in our overprotective culture. Yet here at Saklan, a focus of our approach is to get students to learn those vital social skills. We work hard through our Responsive Classroom approach, Middle School Advisory, and SOS classes to give kids the tools they need to grow as humans, deal with adversity and persist.

The article references the fact that an overabundance of testing, and all the “drilling” that goes with it, have taken away time from recess, lunch, Art and Music. This regimented approach to school increases stress and decreases learning (not to mention kills any love for learning). Taking a look at the Saklan curriculum, you will find that students are not shortchanged of Music, Art or some recess. And while we do use standardized testing, we limit it to focus on the individual growth of a student.

The fact is that less testing and more emphasis on the Arts, Social Emotional Learning, and giving kids some time and space leads to not only happier kids, but stronger academics. Does that seem counterintuitive? Probably. Does the research bear it out? Yes. Is Saklan saving childhood? I think so.

#SaklanWellRounded